According to a report by News18, Siddaramaiah is expected to resign as the chief minister of Karnataka on May 28. The report states that the party has requested him to assume a national-level position, while Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar is anticipated to take over as chief minister.
The same report suggests the party may nominate Siddaramaiah’s son for the deputy chief minister role, although this has not been officially confirmed.
This report emerges amid renewed speculation regarding a potential leadership change in Karnataka, following an extensive six-hour meeting of Congress leaders in Delhi earlier in the day.
Despite this, the party has publicly refuted any discussions about leadership changes.
“Discussions were held regarding the Rajya Sabha and MLC elections. There is no truth to any other speculation,” Congress general secretary KC Venugopal stated to reporters after the meeting.
Earlier, the Congress high command’s decision to summon Siddaramaiah to Delhi fueled speculation about a possible rotational chief minister arrangement between him and Shivakumar, a topic that has been frequently discussed since the Congress regained power in Karnataka in 2023.
In a News18 report from May 25, Siddaramaiah was quoted saying, “I have been summoned to Delhi, but I am unaware of the agenda. I have a meeting scheduled for 11 am tomorrow [Tuesday]. Venugopal called me for this meeting. Speculations will always exist.”
While the Congress has not officially acknowledged any rotational chief minister agreement, such speculation has continued due to conflicting claims from both leaders following the party’s electoral success.
Political observers regard Siddaramaiah as a mass leader with significant AHINDA (a Kannada acronym for minorities, backward classes, and Dalits) backing and extensive administrative experience. Meanwhile, Shivakumar has garnered praise for his organizational management and for maintaining party unity during its opposition years.
After thorough negotiations within the party leadership, the Congress ultimately appointed Siddaramaiah as chief minister, with Shivakumar taking on the role of deputy chief minister.
Siddaramaiah: Karnataka’s longest-serving CM
